Description
Hearty Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta delivers robust flavors straight from southern Italy’s kitchen. Rich ingredients blend perfectly, creating a memorable meal travelers and home cooks will savor.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Proteins:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) Italian-style sausage
Pasta:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) pasta (penne, rigatoni, or your choice)
Seasonings and Spices:
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Vegetables and Aromatics:
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)
Dairy and Cream:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Oils and Herbs:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions, carefully preserving 1/2 cup of starchy cooking liquid before draining.
- Sear Italian sausage in a spacious skillet over medium-high heat, methodically crumbling meat into bite-sized fragments until achieving a rich golden-brown coloration.
- Incorporate diced onions into the skillet, sautéing until translucent and fragrant, approximately 3-4 minutes. Introduce minced garlic and continue cooking for an additional 60 seconds.
- Pour diced tomatoes into the mixture, complementing with chili flakes, Italian seasoning, and smoky paprika. Allow sauce to gently simmer, developing robust flavors for 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat and stream heavy cream into the skillet, thoroughly integrating ingredients and permitting sauce to thicken for 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer cooked pasta directly into the skillet, elegantly tossing to ensure complete sauce coverage. Modulate sauce consistency by incrementally adding reserved pasta water if necessary.
- Generously fold grated Parmesan cheese into the dish, seasoning with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to personal preference.
- Conclude by scattering freshly chopped parsley across the surface and serve immediately while piping hot.
Notes
- Customize heat levels by adjusting chili flakes for mild or extra spicy preferences.
- Swap heavy cream with lighter alternatives like half-and-half or Greek yogurt for a healthier version.
- Use gluten-free pasta to make the dish suitable for those with wheat sensitivities.
- Select high-quality Italian sausage for richer, more authentic flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 521 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 490 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2.5 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg